Annual Report Sign on to Success

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success

2 Message From the Chair and Executive Director In 1995, OntarioLearn.com initiated its online presence to distance education and welcomed 750 registrants. The consortium now consists of 22 Ontario community colleges servicing the rapidly growing market for online education with a unique and cost effective curriculum-sharing delivery model. We can proudly report that in 2011 registrations approached 67,000. We completed our incorporation and migrated our payroll and accounting services from Algonquin College to the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS). We made improvements to our systems infrastructure which included changes to our grades system. In the quality assurance area we have made great strides in improving our Course Standards Checklist by providing hyperlinks to best practice examples. We also initiated the development of our faculty, self-directed training modules and completed many course reviews based on student evaluations. Another key project begun in 2011 was the conversion of the Leadership Development Series of 10 face-to-face courses to online versions. Our growing student population reflects Ontario s realities: more immigrants and international students, workers who need to retrain to regain employment and climbing high school graduation rates that are driving up post-secondary enrolment. OntarioLearn.com continues to keep pace with learners needs offering flexibility and choice without boundaries. Students are able to register at one college in an online course up to 1,300 to choose from developed and taught by another college. Pooling registrations means an expanded inventory of courses developed and delivered cost-effectively. Mission Statement: OntarioLearn.com is a consortium of 22 colleges devoted to the development and delivery of high quality, accessible, online learning opportunities. Vision Statement: OntarioLearn.com will be the national leader in college-based online education. This leadership will be ensured by maintaining the highest standards of curriculum design and delivery, leveraging our award-winning cooperative model, and pursuing ever-expanding markets. OntarioLearn.com has had annual growth rates in excess of 15% over the last few years and ranks as one of the largest providers of online course development and delivery in North America. With the school year, we remain committed to providing faculty with the required resources to make our course inventory the best there is. An Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Quality Assurance/Quality Control Specialist and Executive Director will continue to helm our virtual office under the governance of an Executive Committee, a Board of Directors with a representative from each member college and several Regional Committees. And while OntarioLearn.com does not boast the same notoriety as its college partners, the consortium as a whole has established itself as a key provider of post-secondary education for the diverse learning needs of Ontarians. Kim Walker Chairperson Alan Brady Executive Director

3 Enrolment OntarioLearn.com has seen consistent growth and enrolment since Total enrolment for the 2010/11 fiscal year was 66,620. While enrolment varies by college, this nonetheless represents a 2.5% increase over the previous fiscal year. OntarioLearn.com Enrolment Trends 34,299 41,905 48,564 55,700 64,982 66, ,898 23, ,500 4,500 7,762 14,029 11,314 19,000 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 I am thankful that I am able to work towards my career goals via this medium. I appreciate the fact that the instructors, online technical support staff and course material always display the highest standards of professionalism. - Student, Centennial College Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 01

4 Enrolment by College 2006/ / / / /11 Enrolment College Enrol. Enrol. Enrol. Enrol. Enrol. Variance 2009/10 to 2010/11 % Change 2009/10 to 2010/11 Algonquin 4,362 5,292 6,461 7,114 5,866-1, Cambrian Canadore Centennial 2,847 3,282 3,185 3,000 3, Conestoga 1,911 2,245 2,843 3,436 3, Confederation 990 1,159 1,426 1,672 1, Durham 5,243 5,346 5,953 6,902 7, Fanshawe 1,493 1,624 1,636 2,085 1, Fleming ,031 1,499 1, George Brown ,028 1,505 1, Georgian ,108 1, Humber 853 1,299 1,643 1,746 2, Lambton 1,110 1,202 1,578 2,088 2, Loyalist 3,166 3,333 3,952 4,518 3, Mohawk 4,766 6,256 6,997 7,953 8, Niagara 2,353 2,886 3,190 3,859 4, Northern Sault Seneca 4,915 5,819 6,711 7,768 7, Sheridan 3,353 3,257 3,678 4,075 4, St. Clair St. Lawrence 988 1,022 1,239 1,603 1, Total 41,904 48,564 55,700 64,982 66,620 1, Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

5 Host College Activity OntarioLearn.com Hosting Activity 2010/11 Registrations per College Under our model, the Host College is defined as the college that designs, develops and delivers the course, and provides the students final grades. The variance in hosting activity from one college to another is attributable to a confluence of factors which may include available financial and human resources and timing. However, because of OntarioLearn.com s collaborative model, our students have greater options and access, both of which allow them to take the course of their choice, typically, at the school of their choice. Algonquin Cambrian Canadore Centennial Conestoga Confederation Durham Fanshawe Fleming 1,041 1, , ,978 14,311 The chart on the right lists the number of students enrolled in courses hosted by each college during 2010/11. George Brown Georgian Humber ,189 Lambton 1,673 Loyalist 9,360 Mohawk 6,752 Niagara 786 Northern 55 Sault 719 Seneca 10,220 Sheridan 2,002 St.Lawrence 628 OntarioLearn.com Enrolment Activity Semester Total 2010/11 Semester Intake Monthly Intake # Sections Enrol. # Sections Enrol. # Sections Enrol. % Enrol. Activity Spring ,395 22, , , Fall ,324 21, , , Winter ,248 22, , , Total 3,967 66,620 2,849 52,410 1,118 14, Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 03

6 Financial Process and Success Rates Success Rates The success rate for online education through OntarioLearn.com has exceeded 70% for the last seven years. Using a 50% pass, the overall success rate during 2009 was 75.3%. The success rate increases to 85.3% when adjustments are made to factor in attrition. The retention rate for 2010 was 88.3%. It is worth noting that the average success rate for classroom instruction across the community colleges in Ontario is 65%.* Success rate is defined as the % of students who achieved a final grade of 50% or higher (or a pass) Attrition rate is defined as the % of students who did not complete the course and were assigned a grade of zero Retention rate is defined as the % of students who were assigned a final grade OntarioLearn.com Success Rate for 2010/11 OntarioLearn.com Success Rates for 2006 to 2010 Winter 2010 (%) Spring 2010 (%) Fall 2010 (%) Success Rate Success Rate (Minus Attrition) Attrition Rate Retention Rate (%) 2007 (%) 2008 (%) 2009 (%) 2010 (%) Success Rate Success Rate (Minus Attrition) Attrition Rate Retention Rate *Source: Colleges Ontario 04 Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

7 Financial Process Schematic Student s Tuition College that Registers Student $/Student $/Student + Instructor Fee OntarioLearn.com College that Developed Course Administration Contracting QA/QC Review Partnerships Provide Instructor Course Development Course Maintenance $/Student Technical Service Provider (Embanet) 24x7x365 Support LMS Environments Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 05

8 Courses Course Development & Offerings One of the cornerstones of OntarioLearn.com s operation is the course development process. To maximize efficiencies, only one course covering one set of learning outcomes is allowed. This no-duplicate policy is maintained through a course claim process. Any college may enter a claim proposing a new course by providing the appropriate detail in a course outline. All other colleges have an opportunity to challenge this claim should they feel one of their existing courses already addresses the identical learning outcomes. Disputes are handled by the Executive Committee and an independent arbitrator who evaluates the competing courses. A college that is successful in submitting a claim will have one year to develop the course. If that college cannot deliver the course in that time frame, other colleges are free to pursue it following a similar process. As of February 2011, there were 1,118 courses available to be offered each semester and another 178 in development. Some courses in the course inventory are only offered at specific times during the year. OntarioLearn.com Course Inventory February 2006 February 2007 February 2008 February 2009 February 2010 February 2011 # of Available Courses ,096 1,103 1,118 # of Courses Claimed for Development Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

9 Available Program Areas Many of the OntarioLearn.com partner colleges have designed certificate and diploma programs consisting of courses offered through the consortium. Each college determines the requirements for its program. Some of the certificates/diplomas are comprised entirely of courses available online through OntarioLearn.com, while others may also require courses offered outside the consortium. This was my first online class and I have really enjoyed the experience. Support was always there when I needed it. I will definitely take another online course again! - Student, Confederation College These program areas demonstrate the diversity of offerings available through OntarioLearn.com. Academic and Career Entrance Program Accounting Apprenticeship Business Business Writing College Preparation Communications & Languages Computer Programming Computer Software Applications Corrections Creative Writing/Literature Early Childhood Education Educational Assistant General Education General Interest Health Sciences Home Inspection Hospitality/Travel & Tourism Human Resources Justice Legal/Office Administration Library& Information Studies Management Marketing Mathematics Military Arts and Science Pharmacy Technician Bridge Program Police Foundations Sciences Security Social Sciences Sports/Leisure & Recreation Teacher Training Teacher Training for Online Technology Trades In addition to the many certificate and diploma programs offered by OntarioLearn.com s partner colleges, the vast majority of the 22 college members also offer degree programs covering a wide variety of subject areas. Developed in collaboration with, and approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, these degree programs combine the targeted, practical strengths of a college with the theoretical foundations of the traditional three- or four-year bachelor s degrees. Offering a balance of applied and theoretical study, merging practical, technical skills with theory and research opportunities, some of these programs include co-op work terms to help students be job ready on graduation. Over time, we anticipate that many of the courses associated with these degree programs will also be available online. Students who have completed a college diploma can use their college courses to gain admission and apply for advanced standing in some degree programs. Furthermore, students who have completed at least a year of college-level study or who already have a college diploma in the same field of study may also be considered for admission and advanced standing. Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 07

10 Quality Assurance Course Quality Review OntarioLearn.com s quality standards are built on our members collective commitment to providing our students with a positive learning environment that ensures their academic success and satisfaction. Course quality is measured using two assessment tools. The first is a comprehensive student feedback questionnaire that measures the overall effectiveness of course content, instruction and students general perceptions of quality. OntarioLearn.com also administers a Course Standards Checklist designed to measure overall course design and student usability. The checklist is used to evaluate all new courses and reassesses those courses that fall below the expected student satisfaction levels. Member colleges are accountable for the overall quality of the course content, copyright and instructor recruitment, training and evaluation. OntarioLearn.com s Quality Assurance/Quality Control Specialist is responsible for conducting course reviews and providing the college under review with a summary of the checklist results and a findings report that summarizes what was observed and provides a recommended course of action. Colleges are expected to act on the changes and/or provide a rationale for the existing design decision by the end of the semester after which the review was conducted. If the changes are not made in a timely fashion, the college risks having the course removed from the OntarioLearn.com inventory. Supporting Teaching Excellence in the Online Classroom Our vision of a good online classroom is one that offers a well-structured virtual environment that presents well-developed course content, learning activities and assignments, along with ample opportunity for students to interact and learn with each other as well as their course facilitator. To meet this vision, OntarioLearn.com launched a quality assurance initiative in 2007 that focused on overall course design and usability criteria. These design standards are now well established and ensure consistency of course information requirements. Lesson and assignment templates provide instructors and course designers with considerable flexibility, while providing students with a consistent design approach across the broad range of courses available. The next phase in OntarioLearn.com s quality journey is to provide professional development support to 400+ part-time teachers who support the delivery of courses each semester. Each teacher has a different level of online teaching and/or course development expertise, and given that the majority of them also hold full-time jobs in their profession, a self-directed delivery approach was deemed to be the best design method. 08 Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

11 In November 2010, the OntarioLearn.com Board approved the creation of a Faculty Teaching Resource website. This site will provide short-duration learning modules that support skills development within each of the competency categories recognized by the Ontario colleges. The modules will be available to them at any time. They will use a wide variety of content delivery approaches that demonstrate effective online delivery strategies. A module could be a topical white paper or a series of articles combined with a how to skill-building example. Completion of the module will enable the instructor to apply the learning/application to the course. Each module will be recognized as a stepping stone to building overall competency in a particular category. Our goal is for the website to become the go-to place for faculty to: Interact with the module content; Create a faculty-to-faculty Community of Practice discussion forum that encourages more focused interaction amongst teachers and models the strength of discussion forums/blogs in the online environment; Obtain one-on-one coaching support from an instructional designer who will monitor the site and respond to questions as needed; and Attend interactive webinars that demonstrate new online delivery approaches. The site will be launched in the fall 2011 semester. The instructor was phenomenal, inspiring and highly personable. He knows his subject matter inside and out and made sure all the material covered was both interesting and informative. The OntarioLearn support staff were also helpful and I would not hesitate to return to OntarioLearn for future courses. Thanks. - Student, Durham College Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 09

12 Collaboration through Cooperation Partner Colleges OntarioLearn.com s 22 member colleges continually demonstrate that much is possible when they work together for a common purpose. They have embraced the mandate of this unique consortium to share the development, expenses and delivery of online courses. In partnership, they have devised and implemented strategies to improve access to education that meet the rising and diverse needs for higher learning of Ontarians living in urban centres and rural communities alike. OntarioLearn.com also continues to work closely with Contact North and elearnnetwork.ca in their efforts to broaden the reach of online education throughout the Province of Ontario. Excellent course. Folks at OntarioLearn were very helpful in setting up the learning platform as I was having problems accessing it through MSN. Everyone involved at Seneca and Canadore were very professional. Looking forward to my next course. - Student, Canadore College Sheridan College and the Pharmacy Technician Bridging Education Program The Pharmacy Technician Bridging Education Program (Bridging Program) was designed to assist pharmacy technicians currently working in the profession to meet the new regulatory requirements and expanded practice capabilities introduced by the Ontario government with the Health System Improvement Act, The shortage of physicians in Ontario, especially in rural parts of the province, has resulted in the proposed expanded scope of practice for pharmacists allowing them prescribing authority, etc., and in turn, an expanded scope of practice for pharmacy technicians giving them the ability to perform tasks previously only performed by the pharmacist. The online Bridging Program is delivered through OntarioLearn.com exclusively by the Ontario colleges that have been accredited with the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). Completion of Bridging is a mandatory requirement for registration with the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) for technicians currently working in the profession. Estimates provided by the Ontario College of Pharmacists suggest that approximately 10,000 (of the current 20,000) pharmacy technicians throughout Ontario will be seeking registration from and will require access to the Pharmacy Technician Bridging Education Program. 10 Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

13 Online delivery of the Bridging Program provides pharmacy technicians access to courses where traditional face-to-face delivery is not available many hospitals do not have the ability and/or means to bring affiliated offsite delivery to their area, and the majority of technicians pursuing the program work full-time. Since pharmacy is an essential service, shift-work comprised of day, evening, and weekend shifts is common, making participation in traditional face-to-face courses difficult and asynchronous online delivery desirable. Sheridan College responded to a request for proposal competition and was awarded the opportunity to develop the online Pharmacy Technician Bridging Education Program under contract to the Colleges of Ontario Network for Education and Training (CON*NECT) and OCP. There are four courses in the Bridging Program: Professional Practice for Pharmacy Technician Bridging Pharmacology for Pharmacy Technician Bridging Product Preparation for Pharmacy Technician Bridging Management of Drug Distribution Systems for Pharmacy Technician Bridging Sheridan was able to incorporate teaching modules to virtually simulate pharmacy labs which were a first for the Ontario institutions training pharmacy technicians. The combination of online discussions, real-time chats, large and small group activities, instructional videos (with student kits for hands-on practice), virtual dispensing labs and other online activities has provided students a learning experience which closely replicates the experience and academic rigour required in the face-to-face courses. The feedback received from students and teachers about the program has been very positive. Some of Sheridan s online material has even been adopted and incorporated into the face-to-face curriculum, which is in the process of going national. The Ontario Bridging Program curriculum has been adopted by British Columbia and Alberta, and is currently being reviewed by the eastern provinces. The success of the online Bridging Program has influenced British Columbia s decision to roll-out the online program in that province prior to the roll-out of the face-to-face courses. The colleges have reported a drop in enrolment for the face-to-face offerings since all four Bridging courses have become available online. The online offering will ensure that OCP will achieve their mandate for providing approximately 10,000 pharmacy technicians the opportunity for registration in their new and expanded role. Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 11

14 Systems Enhancements & Infrastructure Support Systems Enhancements In an ongoing effort to improve the online experience for our students, a login tutorial video was created and added to the OntarioLearn.com eportal login screen. The short video walks students through the login process. In addition to the video, a short list of Getting Started Questions is also available and the answers are directly linked to the knowledge base area of the OntarioLearn.com support portal. A new version of the OntarioLearn.com Grades System was developed during the past year and implemented in the spring 2011 term. The new Grades System module is now integrated within the OntarioLearn.com eportal infrastructure and reporting capabilities have been enhanced. Embanet Support OntarioLearn.com has engaged Embanet to supply data hosting and help desk support services to the consortium. Located in Markham, Ontario, Embanet operates a world-class data centre with a state-of-the-art network infrastructure to ensure that the appropriate bandwidth is available to support our needs. The data centre includes alternative power generators, disaster planning procedures and an off-site data centre where operations can be relocated in the case of a local emergency. Embanet installs and supports five LMS including Angel, Blackboard 9.1, Blackboard CE8, FirstClass and Moodle. These high-performing, reliable systems enhance and support online instruction to the point that Embanet can guarantee high uptimes and ensure customer satisfaction. A major focus during the past year has been the preparation and implementation of the Blackboard 9.1 upgrade. Activity from our Blackboard 7.3 and Blackboard CE8 environments were merged in the Blackboard 9.1 environment. The OntarioLearn.com Blackboard CE8 site will be phased out by August The OntarioLearn.com Board of Directors recently approved Desire2Learn as a platform option that partner colleges can use to deliver their courses. A pilot project was underway in spring 2011 and three colleges will begin hosting courses on Desire2Learn for the fall 2011 term. Embanet also provides version migration services using these products and operates a help desk that answers calls from both faculty and students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During busy months, the help desk staff can handle upwards of 5,000 inquiries. Embanet has supported the explosive growth of OntarioLearn.com over the last 14 years, consistently adjusting its infrastructure to match our demand. Our contract includes service level agreements with significant penalties to ensure our high standards are maintained. In addition to supporting our operational needs, the staff at Embanet have significant experience with online course design and delivery. They have proven to be excellent partners when it comes to special projects that require rapid design and development of new initiatives. In October 2010, Embanet announced a merger with Compass Knowledge Group, creating a combined company that is positioned to provide an industry leading comprehensive suite of online learning services to universities and colleges. The entity operates under the name Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group and now has offices located in Toronto, Chicago and Orlando. 12 Sign on to Success Annual Report 2011

15 Looking Ahead Executive Committee Alan Brady Executive Director Judy Morris VPA Liaison Heather Ryan Administrator Linda Rees Algonquin College Nancy Martin Durham College Pat MacDonald Mohawk College Kim Walker Niagara College Laurie Poirier Sault College Michael Lefler Sheridan College The three-year strategic plan, approved by OntarioLearn.com s Board of Directors, has been updated based on our changing environment and identifies the following key initiatives: Support online teaching excellence by offering selfdirected training modules and one-on-one coaching support to faculty. Invest in course development projects that benefit all college partners and create a showcase for online learning. Complete our incorporation process. Provide constructive, creative input as a key stakeholder in the development of the Ontario Online Institute. Improve operational efficiencies to ensure they meet the needs of continued enrolment growth and student satisfaction. These initiatives will be vigourously pursued as OntarioLearn.com strives to maintain its position as a relevant and responsive resource for all Ontarians. Board Members Judy Morris VPA Liaison Linda Rees Algonquin College Louise Turcotte Cambrian College Tracie Marsh-Fior Canadore College Michelle DeCoste Centennial College Sandra Schelling Conestoga College Vince Stilla Confederation College Nancy Martin Durham College Susan Cluett Fanshawe College Brenda Pander Scott Fleming College Cal Shaw George Brown College Janice Priest Georgian College Mark Ihnat Humber College Donna Church Lambton College Trudie Lake Loyalist College Pat MacDonald Mohawk College Kim Walker Niagara College Christine Bender Northern College Laurie Poirier Sault College Susan Savoie Seneca College Michael Lefler Sheridan College Irene Moore Davis St. Clair College Lynn Walker St. Lawrence College Annual Report 2011 Sign on to Success 13

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